Breathe My Name: A Hunger Games Pairing
by MelissaOE
Summary: Contains adult themes such as sex and slight swearing. Hunger Games: Pairing: Finnick/Katniss, Perhaps Johanna/Peeta in the near future. Takes place during Catching Fire, and so on. Disclaimer: I do not own any content of The Hunger Games. Finnick and Katniss get close in their time of need. Maybe a little too close. (First FanFic I've ever written)
1. Chapter 1: Upon Meeting You

**Katniss POV**

I sit in the warm water of the roomy bathtub. My knees are curled up against my chest and the water is resting calmly around my body, gently lapping up at my body. Being in the Capitol, I rarely bathe rather than shower, but tonight feels different. Usually, the tributes only stay in the Capitol for 3 days. But, it's the Quarter Quell, so we have to stay here longer... almost 9 days. This one stated that the tributes were to be chosen from the "existing pool of victors.".

I move my hand over the motion sensor on the wall next to the tub, and as soon as it picks up the movement of my hand, a panel slides over, and a bunch of buttons are exposed. I press a combination of the shiny silver buttons, and shampoo squirts out of a nozzle in the wall. There's enough room to put your head under it, so the shampoo lands right on your scalp, but I don't find lathering it into my hair on my own to be as much of an inconvenience as the Capitol people might find it.

I sigh as I reach out for a good amount of the rosy pink shampoo. It smells like ginger and apricot...with a touch of roses. I feel repulsed by the scent of the roses, since not too long ago President Snow was in _my_ house in the Victor's Village in District 12, hissing in my face, basically forcing me to act as if I'm breathlessly in love with Peeta. If I didn't, he would kill my family, and most likely Gale's. I can't get that moment out of my mind. The moment I realized the scent of blood, almost drowned in the scent of his genetically altered roses. No real rose smells that strong.

I push those memories out of my head and finish washing myself. I step out of the warm tub, and grab one of the soft and fluffy navy blue towels on the rack in the bathroom. The second the cold air meets my warm skin, goosebumps race up my arms, and down my legs. I stand in front of the dryer. It looks like a vent, except slightly larger and in the middle of the wall. I press a few buttons, also concealed by a motion sensor panel, and the warm air completely dries my body and hair in almost a minute's time. My dark hair falls in waves over my shoulders. I stare at my reflection for a few minutes, before proceeding to put on some of the clothing that could be found in the dresser across my temporary room.

I open the drawers to find a silken nightgown, dark blue with even darker blue flowers embroidered at the very bottom of the gown. It just about hits my knees, and the sleeves are short. I put on some dark blue slippers and sit at the edge of my bed. I wonder about Peeta. Have I hurt him that badly? I haven't heard from him or even from Haymitch in a few hours. I guess instead of lecturing me after storming off at dinner, he decided to let me be alone. Peeta shuoldn't have found out about the kiss with Gale. It wasn't intentional... I didn't stop it, so maybe it was. I'm not sure. Oh, Gale, is it rude of me to not have him in my thoughts until now? Would Peeta be mad if he knew I was trying to hide it from him? I don't know. All I know is that I'm too confused to think about it, and too awake to sleep.

I've already met some of the other victors at the parade. It's weird to think that I actually long to socialize with someone right now. Especially another tribute. But almost all of us have a common enemy, and I guess that brings us a little bit closer. One of the victor's I had met that night was Johanna Mason. She was...feisty. She stripped down in the elevator I was in. I shove the thought of talking to her out of my mind, because if it isn't awkward enough that she had been standing in front of me without any clothing on, I was never good at girl talk. I also met Finnick Odair that night. He was... flirtatious, charismatic, and he just seemed arrogant and narcissistic. I could tell that wasn't the real him. He had something else under his outer shell, but I didn't feel like addressing that in public, because he probably wouldn't have admitted to it.

I already know the room he's in, because he mentioned it to me at the parade. _Will he think it's weird for me to come knocking? _As soon as that thought came, it disappeared, and I stopped caring about what he may think of me. Though, I am expecting a sarcastic comment when he answers the door. I find his room and knock a few times, quiet enough so nobody around would hear, but enough so he would. He opened the door in nothing but a navy blue t-shirt that looked a little too big, and boxers. He looked a little confused, maybe even a little relieved to see me, but his face hid those feelings and put forward a different look. It was a smug one. "Here to take me up on those sugar cubes?", he said with a smirk. _There's the sarcastic comment. _"Very funny, Odair.", I reply. He smiled a little bit and opened the door so that I could come in.

"If you're not here for sugar, are you here to tell me your secrets?", he said, a little less sarcastically this time. "I'm here to talk to someone." I say blankly, "Being in the Games makes me forget that I'm human. I need to talk to people and communicate too.". He looks at me with understanding. "What made you pick me to talk to? Why not Peeta? You two are engaged, am I wrong?", He taunts. "We are." I bite my cheek. "I just don't think he really wants to talk to me right now. You seemed approachable. If I'm wrong I can leave.." I start. He puts his hand up, "I need someone to talk to too." He says, a little more seriously than I've ever heard him say.

I look at him, examining him. His bronze hair is messy, but in a kept way. I can see glints of red that shine in the light. The loosely fitting t-shirt almost fits him because of his build. He's not extremely bulky with enormous muscles, but he's athletic. His muscles are definitely big, however. His famous sea-green eyes have a small sparkle to them. I wonder why I never noticed his muscles. I bring my attention back to him. I bite my lip. "What's bothering you, Odair?" I say with a joking tone to it, to make him a little more comfortable. He smiles, and sits down on the big bed in his room. He leans against the back of the bed, and motions me to come sit with him. I sit on the edge of the bed, because I haven't warmed up to the thought of being next to him in bed. He entangles his fingers while he thinks.

"Finnick?" I ask. He looks up at me. "I left a girl back in District 4. I don't know how to feel about her anymore. There's a good chance that I won't make it out. She needs someone. I told her to move on and find someone who can care for her, or to wait for me. I'm just a little confused." Why is he being so honest with me? He can't possibly trust me. "I-I'm sorry." I stutter, not knowing how to react. "It's fine, Girl on Fire.", the corners of his mouth twitch up in a smile, and he bites his lip. I start blushing. Why are my cheeks so warm? The thought of him noticing me blushing embarrasses me even more. I think he noticed, because he chuckled.

I sit closer to him now, more comfortable after he was honest with me. We talk for about an hour. Little things, what it's like back home, what it will be like after these Games, the Capitol people indulged in their money and fashion... I guess the comment about the girl he left back home was a spur of the moment thing, because before I know it, he's back to his sarcastic self.I laugh at a snarky comment he makes. I feel happier than I have the whole time I've been in the Capitol. He leans in close to me, inches away from my face. My eyes open a little wider, because now I'm alert and surprised at the swift movement he made that ended up with him in front of me.

I'm little nervous. That's when he kisses me. I hesitated, but I kissed back. I didn't know what else to do, I felt a longing for this. But why? I have Peeta, Gale and now Finnick? I don't need any more problems... but his kiss is warm, it sends tingles up my spine. He pulls away, just to look me in the eyes and come back in and kiss harder than before. His tongue forced its way into my mouth but I didn't protest. He kisses so passionately, like it was his job. The kissing made me feel a warmth in my stomach, traveling up my spine, replaces the tingles. _The_ Finnick Odair is kissing me right now. Why does it make me feel accomplished? I shouldn't feel that way. I have other problems. . .

His hands travel up my body and he feels me up and down. I wrap my arms around him, marveling in the feeling of his muscular back, and then he flips me on to my back and gets on top of me. I'm confused. What made him want me? _Does_ he want me? Why me? His voice interrupts my clouded thoughts. "What?" I ask, almost impatiently. "Your gown..." He starts, but I already knew what he was going to suggest. I sit up so i could easily slip the gown over my head and onto the floor. He undoes my bra in one deft movement, and before I can even blink, his shirt's off too. He gets back on top of me and moves his head down to my neck, kissing gently. I stifle a small moan, and he takes that as an invitation. He licks at my neck and starts passionately kissing me there as well. He's rubbing me over my panties, also silk, and breathing heavily.

Things obviously heat up, and next thing I know, I'm grabbing at his manhood, hard and warm. When did his boxers come off? It's leaking at the tip a little bit, and I bob my head up and down on it, with his hand entangled in my hair and his breath coming heavily. He stops me, flips me over and licks my.. _lower area. _I can't even think straight at this point. All I'm thinking of is how good he's making me feel. "Damn, you taste fucking great." He says with a smirk. He inserts a finger in me, then two and continues to pump in and out all while licking me. I grab his messy hair. "Oh...Finnick.." I moan. He stops and looks up at me with a smug look on his face.

He gets up and pushes himself inside me. I never knew someone could make you feel so good. This isn't like anything with Peeta or Gale, although I've only kissed either of them. Finnick Odair has my virginity. He pumps in and out of me, and I feel nothing but pleasure. He moans a little bit and bites his lip. "Katniss, you feel amazing..." He groans. "Finnick..." I moan. He starts to go harder, I moan louder and so does he. We're looking into each other's eyes now, and his flicker with something different. A mixture of feelings I know all too well. Confusion, and pain. As soon as I notice it, it's gone. Pain? Confusion? Is this just a way for him to cope with the confusion? It must be what I'm doing too. I push the thought away and focus on the pure ecstasy I'm feeling. He throws his head back, I gasp and dig little pale crescents into his back with my fingernails. He moans louder than before, and I scream out his name.

Before I know it, there's a burst of warmth inside of me, and we're both panting and out of breath. I feel a pang of guilt, as I should after doing such an vent with _Finnick Odair_ of all people, especially instead of Peeta. He hands me a towel and we silently clean up the mess. I find my clothes scattered across the floor, and run to the bathroom to dress myself. Upon leaving I approach him and hiss into his ear, "If Peeta finds out about this, I will never forgive you." His eyes darted to the side. and back at me. Why should he be afraid of me not forgiving him? We don't know each other extremely well anyway. We haven't been long-time friends or anything.

I go towards the door, feeling a little more than embarrassed as he calls out "Until next time, Girl on Fire.." In a sarcastic tone, obviously just trying to taunt me. The interviews are tomorrow, so I have to have a good night's rest. I don't see that I will get much rest tonight, considering the events that just occurred less than 10 minutes ago. Events that were the result of two guilty and confused people. He acted so sure with his sarcastic comment upon my leaving but I know all too well, and he does too, that it didn't happen just for fun. It was to cover up the pain and the anger that we both have hidden deep inside of us. That we dare not tell anybody about.


	2. Chapter 2: Controversiality

**My apologies, because this one goes a bit slow, it's more of a filler. The end of this chapter is mostly and almost directly from Catching Fire Novel and the Movie. Needed a space filler and a little background. Update soon. Thank you for the feedback. :)**

I try to ease my thoughts as I sit on my bed. I have to keep up the lovebird act with Peeta. We're _engaged. _Do I want to even be engaged? Does it matter that I slept with Finnick since I may not want to even be with Peeta? Of course it does. I promised my heart to a man and then let another man take my virginity. The proposal was all propaganda though; Something to keep the Capitol and the Districts occupied. Never has my mind crossed the fact that I am going into the arena soon. I lay my head down on the pillow and close my eyes. Drifting off to sleep thinking about seeing Cinna tomorrow, and how the interview with Caesar will go. . .

_The crowd cheers and chants, "Katniss! Katniss!" as I step on to the stage with Caesar Flickerman. I smile warmly and wave to all of the Capitol members, and the cameras. I take a seat, and the first thing he asks is how the extended stay is going. "It's nice, the Capitol has many luxuries that I do not have at home, so it is very generous of the Capitol to let us stay here with open arms." Ha. Scripted. It's not generous at all, they're putting us into a pen and letting us fight to death like animals. Among this year's tributes are celebrities of the Capitol. Victors from all different years. All loved by the Capitol people. 'Celebrities' isn't quite the word to describe us. We're made famous for doing nothing more than surviving a cruel death match. Caesar's voice pierces my thoughts. "Done anything interesting in your time before the arena?" He asks. I start to get nervous. I look at Peeta backstage. He smiles, and I look back to the crowd. "I lost my virginity to Finnick Odair last night." I mindlessly blurt out. The cameras show finnick, who's a little red but with a smug expression nonetheless. Oh god. What have I done. Caesar looks confused, Peeta looks heartbroken, Haymitch is laughing at my expense in the crowd, flask in the air and all. Cinna gives me a look of disappointment. President Snow's going to kill me. Literally. Just as President Snow appears on the stage, Lights blacked out, obvious that the broadcast was cut short, he says, "You're going to be late." What does this mean? Late for what?_

My eyes open to Haymitch, shocking me out of that embarrassing dream. I'm going to have to watch what I say on stage. "You're going to be late for breakfast, now come on. Peeta's waiting for you in the dining hall... and do me a favor. Don't lash out on him this morning. You look irritated." He pulls the covers off me, and I get up. I shove him out the door and ready up, using the shower this time. The various knobs and buttons still interest me. I get dressed and go down to the dining hall, where there's other tributes, victors, mentors, the whole deal. Usually, the tributes dine with the prep team from their own district solely, but I guess again, changes have been made to the whole set up. Maybe Snow wants us to befriend each other just to make it more cruel and dramatic in the arena when friendships are torn apart. Nobody really trusts each other anyway, do they? I make my way over to Peeta and greet him with a kiss on the cheek, in case there are Capitol citizens around, and mutter an apology for last night. I kind of freaked out on him before I went to my room... and then to Finnick's... I feel so guilty, but it felt so good. The guilt and the pleasure mixed to bring an abnormal feeling. "It's alright, we're all a little stressed..." He says.

I lock eyes with Finnick, who is across the room. He winks at me with a smirk and I roll my eyes and turn away. Peeta slides his hand around my waist, I'm guessing because he saw Finnick's wink, but I could be paranoid. I eat a breakfast of luxurious foods, and sit with Peeta for a while. "You know, we have a good chance of just being friends." He says. "Well- unless you want to be more, you know...", he quickly corrects himself. I smile. "Peeta. you're already a great friend to me." I kiss him on the cheek. I can't think about Gale anymore. He's back home, working. Peeta gets up and leaves to go find Haymitch, probably to talk more about the games.

At this point, after we're all fed, we're supposed to be heading to our rooms with our mentors and preparing for the interviews. Since all of the tributes have already been through the necessary training for the interview, we have more leisure... As long as we stay in the building. Things and schedules were switched up, so we already trained a bit and got our scores. The "chosen skill" I presented was pretty gutsy. I displayed a dummy, hanging from a rope around it's neck, and wrote Seneca Crane on the front. I got a 10. We have the interviews tonight, training tomorrow, and the day after that, we're in the arena. With the free time I have before the prep team cleans me up, I find Finnick. He's talking to Johanna, who's basically on the verge of smashing someone's face in. I mean really, she looks _pissed_.

"Hey." I say abruptly. Johanna glances over at me and scans me up and down before complimenting my outfit, and returning to her rant, muttering under her breath this time. I wasn't even sure if she knew who she was talking to. Finnick turns to me with a smile and chides, "Well, well, well. Look who came crawling back for some sugar.", offering another square of the sweet granular substance. "The sugar joke is getting old." I barked, snatching the cube out of his hand and crunching down on it. It tasted plainer than I thought, but still sweet. He looked satisfied. "Can I talk to you... in private?" I ask quietly. My mood has obviously shifted. Johanna marches off into the crowd while mumbling, and Finnick and I head towards a coat closet. Nobody notices our absence.

The door slides open and we step inside, locking it from within. I wonder why there's a lock in here? Back home we don't have locks on any doors besides the front door- never mind a coat closet. "Don't be so snarky." I snap at him before he can say anything. For a moment, I see his real expression flash in his eyes and I can tell he's pushing the thought of being sarcastic and witty out of his mind for the moment. "Odair, you haven't spoken a word to anybody about what happened last night right?" I ask quickly. He grabs the back of his neck and nervously laughs. "Was I not supposed to?". He saw the look of terror on my face and burst out laughing. I punch him in the arm.

"I'm serious. Nobody can know. It's deathly important." "Why is it so important, Girl on Fire?" He says, smirking. I explain to him about President Snow's visit to my house in the Victor's Village. His smirk fades, and his eyes widen slightly. "I had no idea, you know Katniss, this could affect my life too. You could have told me about that before." I look at him a little baffled. It's _my_ fault? How is it my fault? His serious expression fades as he steps a little bit closer to me, close enough that he could lean over slightly so his lips were next to my ear. "Don't you worry, Girl on Fire. It stays between you and me." He whispers in a seductive purr. He pulls away from my ear and kisses me hard on the lips. Not too hard that it's rough, but not a gentle romantic kiss. It was solely a lustful kiss. It made no difference in the way it made me feel. The warm feeling in my stomach, the hunger I feel, aching for more. But I know all too well that I can't _do _anything else. Not right now anyway... Just like that, he pulls away. He unlocks the door, and winks at me as he's leaving.

My legs feel weak. Why am I so nervous? I put my serious face back on and walked orderly back to where Effie and Haymitch were. Peeta was there too. "Where did you go?", Haymitch demands. "What does it matter to you?" He looks at me suspiciously. If I don't want people finding out about me and Finnick's little ordeal, I have to mind my attitude a little bit. "I just went to get more food..." I start. Effie smiles, and relieves the tension by chiming, "Yes, yes, the food is just delightful." Peeta nods, with his hand on his stomach. Haymitch points at me, "You, to your room. You have to do a quick rehearsal for the interview, and Cinna and your team need to fit you for your outfit tonight, and start cleaning you up.". I give a short nod, kiss Peeta for the Capitol crowd, and make my way to the elevator while Haymitch is probably demanding Peeta to go do about the same thing.

"It's...beautiful." I blurted. The dress he made me was just gorgeous. But it was a little too formal for an interview. It was white, with lots of ruffles at the bottom, tight at the waist and exposing my chest a little bit more than I'm used to, which is close to none. Shiny pearls cover the dress. It's a wedding dress... "Cinna, why am I wearing a-" "President Snow insisted that you wear this. I added my own touch to it. You'll be twirling tonight." He answered all of my questions before they are even asked. Snow. Of course. He's all too evilly planned this out, to distract the Capitol and the Districts, because there'd been uprisings.

Time passes, and before I know it, I'm standing in front of a mirror that covers the surface of a whole wall. My dark hair is back and twisted into a perfect knot. My skin is glowing. Not a patch, blemish, scar, mark, or any sign of an uneven tone is present. My make up is beautiful. Cat-eye liner, light blue and shimmery pearl eyeshadows cover my lid. Little rhinestones lined up perfectly patterned beneath my bottom lashes. Pale pink lipstick makes my lips appear full. Diamond earrings hang gracefully from my ears, to match the necklace resting down to make it all pop. Effie and Haymitch appear to get me backstage for the interview which is in less than 3 minutes. Apparently, tributes are whispering about something Finnick said up on stage. Oh god. Apparently he hinted towards something. He said he made a friend here who helped him with something... I don't quite remember what they said because I'm nervous about my own interview. Effie has tears in her eyes as she remarks, "You would have made the most beautiful bride". Would have. Haymitch's last words of advice ring in my ears "The victors are angry, Katniss, they're doing anything and everything they can do to try and stop the games. I suggest you and Peeta do the same"

I smile and give Effie a hug, and she pushes me out on stage. I stride towards the middle, to where Caesar is standing. In the spotlight, feeling beautiful, Caesar asks me all kinds of questions. About my wedding dress, about Peeta, about how the Capitol has been treating us, about the final games, and lastly, something about how Snow was "as always, right" for thinking everybody would like to see my dress. Obviously our "wedding" had been cut short because of the games. "Let us see, let us see!" Caesar exclaimed, while making a spinning motion with his hand. As soon as I start, I see the small orange-red flames on the bottom of the dress and small dark grey tufts of smoke rising up randomly. I feel a little nervous, but I trust Cinna. When I'm done twirling, I life up my arms to find there are full feathered wings on the back of them. My dark dress fits tight to my body now, and is made of feathers. I am a Mockingjay. The crowd goes insane. When my time is up, I go up on a levitated platform behind the stage, where the tributes stand in order after they've been interviewed. I take my place next to the male tribute of District 11.

Peeta drops a big fat lie during his interview. He says we got married in secret and our love should be eternal. He also mentioned that I'm having a baby. _A baby?_ If it weren't controversial enough that we had gotten married in secret... He finishes his interview looking unphased, and I had to do the same to keep up the show. I keep thinking about Finnick. I long for his touch. It comforted me. It was warm and passionate... It fulfilled a craving deep inside of me that nothing else could. As soon as Peeta makes it up onto the platform next to me, he holds my hand and I give him a kiss. I notice him glance up at Johanna, and she gives a little smirk. What's that about? I look at Finnick who smiles warmly at me. The crowd is excited and upset. As Caesar tries to calm them down, I grab the hand of the male tribute next to me, and he grabs his district partner's hand. We are all holding hands now, and lifting them up above our heads. We are strong. We are a group. Caesar makes a face and a small motion and next thing we know, the lights are out, and the broadcast is cut. My mind jumps from Finnick to Peeta, then to the Games. I have a strong feeling the training day tomorrow is going to be cut and that we are going into the arena a day early...


	3. Chapter 3: The Arena

**Thank you so much for the positive feedback on this! I appreciate it. This chapter is a little bit more exciting. Thanks again!**

I wake up in the morning to Haymitch shaking me again. How does he keep getting into my room? He says I need to eat and hurry down to my prep team. Today's the day. I don't really feel much like eating, so I sit at the table with Effie, Haymitch and Peeta, and play with the food with my fork. "You might want to eat that, sweetheart." Haymitch remarks. "And why is that?" I spit out. "Young lady..." Effie starts. I didn't mean to sound so rude, but even Haymitch must understand my frustration...with the Games, the President watching me, the whole propaganda love story... "Because in an hour, you'll be heading down to the arena, and you won't have food there. Nothing as good as this, anyway." He says. He's probably right. I just don't feel like eating.

"Remember what we talked about, anyway, about allies? You're going to need them." He says. "Haymitch, I don't _trust _ any of the people here. they're insane." I say back. "Katniss, it's not about trusting them. We need them to _survive._" Peeta says. I guess he's right. "Fine." I say quietly. I dont want any other allies besides Peeta. Apparently, a handful of the tributes are all requesting me as an ally after seeing me shoot my bow. I'll just have to deal with it. Then again, I might change my mind. As soon as you enter the arena, your mindset completely changes. You become someone else. "You both deserved a lot better.." Sobs Effie before she hugs us both tightly and sends us on our way. She's _crying. _She's risking ruining her striking make up for 2 District 12 tributes. _Poor Effie_ is all that goes through my head. Haymitch pets my hair and gives me a hug, and I notice the gold bracelet he has on. It almost looks like flames. "Any last bit of advice?" I ask. He smiles. "Stay alive." With that, the goodbye's are good and gone and I'm on my way with Peeta downstairs.

I hold Peeta's hand and walk to where our prep teams are. He kisses me on the head and walks towards his team while I turn to mine. There's something really comforting about holding his hand. It makes me feel safer. Cinna takes me to the launch pad where the hovercraft is locates after braiding my hair in the signature side braid. We board the hovercraft. The peacekeeper stands next to me with a big needle in his hand. "Your arm?", He puts out his hand, "For your tracker." He injects the tracker into my arm and I don't even flinch. There are much more things to fear than a needle or an injection.

We land under the arena, and I go with Cinna to my launch pad. He dresses me up in my outfit. It's almost like a wetsuit, or something. It's Blue, with small black three-dimensional hexagon shapes all over it, Black boots, and fingerless black gloves that go from my hand, wrap around my thumb and go up to my elbow. "I'm still betting on you, Girl on Fire." He gives me a huge hug. I lean into the embrace and hug him hard back. He puts my mockingjay pin on the arm of my suit and covers it with the glove. He shoots me a smile and the next thing I know, I'm secured in a glass tube, which will be rising up to the arena in 30 seconds. I put my hand against the glass and smile. I'm going to miss Cinna. Peacekeepers burst through the door. I'm paralyzed, Cinna turns around in shock, and the peacekeepers whip out their batons and the last image I have in my mind is me screaming and slamming on the glass, and Cinna's blood on the floor. I rise up to the arena, my heart racing. I know what I just saw was horrible but I have to switch my mindset now. I'm in a deathmatch.

I look around. Water...water...jungle... more water. A huge circle of water, with 12 rocky spokes jutting out, and leading to the middle, a small island holding the cornucopia. There is a shore...a beach, and behind that is all jungle. It almost looks like a bicycle wheel. "Let the 75th annual Hunger Games begin!", I hear the voice and the gunshot indicating that I have to kill people now. Innocent people. I dive straight into the water and glide through with ease. I pull myself up on to the rocks and race towards the cornucopia. I have to get something, a weapon. Preferably a bow. I see one straight ahead of me, and pick it up. I shot one of the other victors in the knee, I'm not quite sure who. Enobaria dodged my arrow, and I hear clanking behind me. It takes me a minute but I register what it is. Someone's behind me. I turn around and aim my bow, about to take the life of another person, when I see Finnick standing in front of me.

I hesitate. I decide to do it. I pull my arrow back, and he lifts up his hand. "Katniss..." He starts. I notice the bangle on his hand. The same one Haymitch was wearing before he hugged me goodbye. "Where did you-" I began, "There's no time. Don't trust 1 and 2, I'll find Peeta." He finishes for me and runs off to the other side. I guess I have another ally. I shoot and kill someone coming at me from District 5, but it's all a blur. Cannons go off, weapons clang, water splashes. Finnick jumps in the water to save Peeta, who's fighting with another tribute. I hear a cannon. For an instant my heart stops. Oh my god. Did Peeta die? "Peeta?" I ask, under my breath. I see him swim up from underwater, panting. I sigh with relief.

In total, our ally group consists of four people. Peeta, Myself, Finnick, and his district partner, Mags. An older woman who volunteered for Annie Cresta, who went haywire when she got picked. I wanted Mags as an ally, if anyone along with Wiress and Beetee, the District 3 tributes who were incredibly tech-savvy and intelligent. Who knows where they are right now. Finnick wields a trident, and Peeta a machete. Mags has nothing, and she rides on Finnick's back. I have my bow and a quiver of arrows. We tread through the damp hot jungle. Learning from Wiress and Beetee, I can see where the forcefield is, as well as locate all of the cameras in the arena. A few cannons go off as we are walking. I'm guessing that there are anywhere from 10 -12 tributes left.

As Peeta's slicing his way through the jungle, I notice he is heading straight into a forcefield. "PEETA!" I scream out. Right as he's about to swing the machete down, he stops and turns around. "What's the matter?", Finnick asks urgently. "Yeah, Katniss, are you okay?" Peeta adds. I shake my head at them. "Forcefield up ahead" I say. "How do you know that?", Peeta asks with a confused look on his face. "I can hear it slightly. I'm not sure but it's better not to take the risk." Everyone gets quiet for a minute. "I don't hear anything...", says Finnick. "Well, after the last Games, the Capitol reconstructed my ear. I probably have better hearing or something." I say, trying to look convincing. "Oh, after the explosion of the mines... I remember seeing that." Finnick says. He smirks at me. I roll my eyes in disgust. "Let's just keep walking, please?" I plead. I only lied because I didn't want the Capitol thinking I was outsmarting them.

When night falls, Peeta is incredibly dehydrated. I take note of everything as I walk by, no sign of water. Mags is resting against a rock, and Peeta's a few feet away, near a big tree. "I'm way too thisty." He says, his voice raspy, basically begging for something to quench his thirst. Mags nods. "I don't feel that bad," I say, "I'll look around in search of fresh water." "I'd better come with you," says Peeta, getting up. "No. You sit down with Mag's, I'll go with her." Says Finnick. My heart kind of jumps. I don't know why. "Fine... keep her safe for me." Says Peeta.

Me and Finnick walk through the jungle, keeping note of things as we quietly walk by, so we can find our way back to where Peeta and Mags are. We don't talk much for the first 5 minutes and then he says, "What's wrong girl on fire? Am I too much for you?". I scoff, and say, "Let's just focus on getting water, Odair." He frowns. "Can't you call me anything else besides Odair?". "Okay, obnoxious." I retort. "How about _Finnick?_" He says. I roll my eyes. "Okay, Finnick." I say. Better to give him what he wants, I have no energy to argue. He smiles, and continues walking. We wander our way into an odd section of the arena. All of the trees are about 3x taller, and have very thick, dark leaves. I notice this part of the arena doesn't have any cameras. Another flaw in their plan. _There's always a flaw in the system..._ Beetee's voice rings in my head. He's right. I can't expect him to be wrong, though. He's too smart.

Finnick looks around, taking in our surroundings. He scrunches his nose and frowns. "What's with these trees? They look different." He states. I shrug and sit down on a large log for a few seconds, to gain my energy back. He sits next to me. "What am I going to do?" I say, "We need water for Peeta..." I start to feel my stomach turn. I'm picturing him dying of dehydration, and it all being my fault. "What about Mags?" He groaned. I honestly forgot about Mags. All I'm thinking about is saving Peeta. My drunken promise with Haymitch to keep him alive... "Sorry." I consoled. He put his face in his hands for a moment, and ran his hands through his hair.

The air smells slightly sweet. I can't quite place what it is. I get a little dizzy. Finnick must have gotten dizzy too, because he put his hands down next to him, stabilizing him. His eyes looked glassy. Is he going to cry? Or is it the scent that seems a little more overwhelming now then it did before? "Your eyes are glassy.." He interrupts my thoughts. I'm confused. His voice sounded a little droopy and slow. Am I alright? "Finnick?" I ask. "Yeah?" He sighed, and smiled. "I feel..." I start, "fuzzy and warm?" He says with a chuckle. I do kind of feel that way. I nod and look around. The trees, they're so tall. The leaves are gigantic and are shades of dark greens with blue and even a little bit of pink in them. The droopy, drawly feeling I had before is now replaced with unnatural energy. I still feel weird. "W-what's happening?" I stutter. I don't understand what it is. "Probably dehydration..." His voice trails.

I look at him, he has small beads of sweat on his forehead, and his messy copper hair shines in the moonlight. Of course it's not the real moon though. I put my hand on his leg, involuntarily. He looks at me, and grinds his teeth a little, then bites his lip. The charismatic, sensitive light in his sea-green eyes, are replaced with something else. It looks almost maniacal. He stands up, pulls me up with him, and pulls me close to him. I'm right up against his sturdy, hard body. It wasn't until then that I realized I craved his touch. It feels more electric then it ever has. I start putting the pieces together. The sweet smell, the unknown area of the arena... (The scent probably came from the front of the arena, given that we're in very the back of it.), the feelings, the way his touch feels...

"Finnick..." I whisper. "I think this is an effect of the Games..." "Let's be honest sweetheart, this would have happened anyway." He whispers back. He doesn't sound like himself. Before I know it, I'm up against one of the huge trees with Finnick's body against mine. I throw my legs around his body and he grinds himself on me. He grabs my hips and whispers all kinds of dirty things into my neck, in hot breaths. What would everybody think right now? This is humiliating. I can't stop. I remember something _There are no cameras in the back of this section. _Why? I can't keep my thoughts together. All I want is my hands on his bare muscular back, while he pushes himself inside of me, making me feel like... "I'm going to make you come so sweetly," He says with a laugh.

He gently pushes me down and lays me on the ground in front of him. I can clearly see his boner through his wetsuit. Normally I'd blush and become awkward upon seeing that, but instead, all I can picture is him inside of me. He kissed my neck, definitely a lot rougher than last time.. nipping and biting here and there. He started sucking one of the sensitive spots on my neck, and I sigh and moan quietly, my nails digging into his back. He unzipped his suit, so his bare chest was against me, before unzipping mine. He's moving way to fast. His eyes have a crazy look in them. "Take off your bra." He starts with a smile. I take my bra off, and before I even get a chance to put it down he's sucking on my breasts. "Finnick..." I groan. I can't help myself. It feels amazing. I'm not thinking of anybody else but him. He stops for a moment. "Yeah?" He says, raising his eyebrow and smirking. "Shut up." I snap and grab his hair so I can move his head back to where it was.

He unzips me more and licks down my stomach. He starts licking between my legs. I shake and shudder. I grab the ground next to me. "Oh!" I exclaim. He hit a sensitive spot that I've never felt before. I pull him up and turn the tables. He's on the floor in front of me, practically naked. I go down and bob my head on his boner, making him gasp and let out small moans. His hand finds its place on the back of my head, assisting me in speed and deepness as I take him in my mouth. He aggressively snaps up and flips me over, so that I'm on my stomach, and literally within seconds he's inside of me. "Whoa!" I exclaim. The swiftness of that was so deft, it was almost inhumane. He pulls my hips up a little. "Couldn't help myself." He quickly said through gritted teeth and a smile. He's extremely hot in this persona. It could also be the effects of this weird-for lack of a better word- drug, that's making him seem so attractive to me.

He pounds me hard and fast. I can't even think about anything else right now. I feel like pure bliss. He bites his lip and goes hard, hands grasping tight on to my hips. I moan his name and the faster he goes, the louder I moan. He reaches his arm around me and covers my mouth.. "Shhh!" He hisses. I can tell he's smiling though. Still has a maniacal look in those eyes. I feel reality hit me harder. I think I'm coming off of the drug. He still feels amazing though, and I don't want to stop. I don't want him to stop. He sighs, and keeps going. Pumping in and out. His hands grasp even harder on my hips. "I'm-I'm gonna.." He says, breathlessly, and I feel a warm surge inside me. I wonder if he's himself yet. I turn around to see him panting and smiling. "Wow, Girl on Fire. You sure know how to make a guy come." He laughs to himself, and my look made his laughing fade out. He smiled. "Up for another round?" I punch him in the arm.

"I'm sorry." He says quickly and quietly. I'm standing now, zipping myself back up, and he's sitting on the log. He doesn't know that there weren't any cameras, but doesn't seem bothered by it. I stride over to him and lean over, matching his height. I slowly kiss his neck, making him sigh and grip on to me. "It wasn't either of our faults." I said, pulling away and walking off to the side. "Were they after the humiliation factor of it, or what?" He asks. "I don't know. All I know is that it's sick either way." I said surely. I motion for him to come with me, because we need to get out of this sketchy jungle section, and back to Peeta and Mags. After all, I'm sure they're worried. I've been out under these jungle trees for about an hour, with Finnick, up against and behind me, doing you-know-what. A pang of guilt hits me when I hear his name in my head. Peeta. I betrayed him, again. I don't want to say it was worth it, but... No. I can't let myself admit that. We start back towards them, and Finnick adds, "Don't feel guilty." It's as if he can read my mind. "We were supposed to find water, to save him, and instead we..." I trail off. He winks at me. "We'll find water eventually. We have to." He says.

We don't really talk about having sex. We act like it didn't happen but the guilt burns us from the inside out. Again, catering to my own selfish needs. This time it wasn't to cope with the pain and confusion we were feeling. We did it because we were put under an influential force, and did the deed just for the nasty pleasure of it. I _needed_ him though. Every time his body hit against mine, I felt amazing. I was on fire. I felt dangerous. Eventually, after a mostly silenced walk, we make it back to Mags and Peeta. Mags is asleep and Peeta is fumbling with something. We emerge through the bushes, and his eyes shoot up. "We couldn't find water..." I said quietly. He smiled. "It's okay, while you two were gone, Haymitch sent in a spile!" He exclaims. We sit down near him and examine the spile. I nod approvingly and hand it back to him.

"What happened to you two?" He asks, "You guys are _drenched _in sweat." He says. Finnick starts to talk, but I silence him by speaking over him. "Well. Uh.. we _were_ just trudging through a humid jungle searching for water. What did you expect?" I try to say it confidently, but not too defensive. He looks a little confused. "What's that on your neck?" He asks. I realize the slight soreness, and my hand immediately touches the spot on my neck. The sensitive spot that Finnick was sucking on must've bruised. He made the mark on me. "I, uh, walked into a damned branch. I couldn't see anything in the dark! It must have bruised." I say, my cheeks getting hot.

He narrows his eyes at me, and then at Finnick. Whatever he was thinking, he must of dropped it, because he said "I missed you.",and gave me a kiss on the forehead. I feel nothing but guilt. Peeta hugs me, and over his shoulder, I see Finnick. He gives me an understanding look. He silently mouths out, "_It's okay._" I smile. I pull away from the hug. "I missed you too." "Show me how to use a spile?" Finnick asks. I nod and get up and take Finnick to a large tree to help him with the spile. He leans in, and whispers, "We should do that again sometime... I mean, third time's the charm isn't it?" I blush for some stupid reason and I don't know why. "Don't push it, Odair." I snap back in a whisper._  
_


	4. Chapter 4: Another Slow Day Goes By

Lemons in the future.

The next day comes quick, with me, Finnick and Peeta alternating on watches. "We'd better collect some fresh water." says Peeta. My eyes droop. My eyelids are too heavy. I look around at the jungle, still kind of dark from all of the leaves shielding the sun, and try to wake myself up. _I'm in the Games. I'm not at home about to get a cup of coffee. Wake up. WAKE UP. _I'm chanting to myself in my head. I stand up and lean against a tree. "Someone's tired." smirks Finnick. I merely ignore the urge to flip him off and walk over to Peeta with the spile. Mags wove some baskets out of tree bark, and we start filling them with water.

"...and 3. We have 3 baskets of water." I say. The water's warm, but it's water, and it's fresh nonetheless. I hear a cannon boom in the distance. Me and Peeta's eyes immediately meet. "Who could that have been?" I ask. I try not to worry about it, because after all there are only 2 people I want to see besides my group of allies, and that's Wiress and Beetee. We sit down, and try to formulate a plan. "Johanna is the only one I could really trust with us besides nuts and volts." Finnick says, matter-of-factly. Peeta's eyes light up. "Maybe we should find them." "Why are you so eager to find them? You criticized my choice of allies the night before the Games." I snap back. "Katniss. The Quell is different. We _need_ people." He says, convincingly.

I may just not like the thought of Johanna being with us, given that she's made me uncomfortable every time I was around her. Mags nods, signifying that she agrees with Finnick. "Anything could happen, so lets rest for a little bit, and then make our way down to the beach." Finnick notes. I nod. "Staying hidden along the edge of the jungle, right?" I ask. "Look who's participating in our plan-making... about time." He snaps back in a sarcastic tone. "You are _too_ sarcastic, Fish brain." I snort. He smiles. Peeta chimes in, "I think that's our plan. Let's get our stuff together, take a little rest and get going."

Finnick unzips his wet suit to his waist, and lays down, leaning against a rock with his eyes closed. It's probably because it's too hot in this jungle. I look at his chest. It's golden, sculpted nicely, and beads of sweat rest there, making it glisten. I stare a little bit longer, and a beeping noise interrupts my thoughts. It's a parachute. It lands right next to me. I pick it up and open it. "What's inside?" Asks Finnick, his eyes still closed as he rests against the rock. Peeta and mags are collecting bark, nuts and the baskets of water for us to leave. I open it up, and inside is 2 pieces of bread, and 2 pieces of fish. I stare at it, confused. I pick up the little note slip under a piece of the bread. It's folded. It says 'KATNISS' in bold letters on it. My fingers fumbling, I open up the paper.

**DISTRICT 12-BREAD, NOT FISH. -H **

What could it mean? District 12 is coal, not bread. I stare at it for a few seconds and then it clicks. Haymitch knows about me and Finnick. "Bread" is Peeta. He's trying to tell me to play up my relationship with Peeta. I feel nervous. "What does it say?" Finnick asks, standing up. I quickly crumple the note. "It says, Enjoy, from Haymitch." He peers in to the little silver tin, and his eyes are sparkling when he sees what's inside. "Is this real fish from District 4?" He asks, quickly. Smiling, he grabs both pieces of fish, and runs to get Mags. Poor kid. He probably misses home. Just as I'm about to take a bite of the bread, I feel a searing pain on my thigh. "AGH!" I scream out. I jump up and look to where I was sitting. A small, glistening, gold snake, with a long neon green tounge looks right up at me. A mutt. I could tell because of the way it's just sitting there. Nevermind the golden skin.

I ignore the pain in my thigh and go to run away. My leg feels numb, and I fall to the ground. It bites my leg again. "SNAKE!" I scream. "MUTT!" I see it open it's mouth, revealing two huge black fangs, dripping with a milky white liquid. Venom. Just as I see Finnick run in, spearing the snake with his trident, Peeta kneels down and puts my head in his lap. I'm on my back now. My vision is blurry. Their voices sound a little slow. "It bit my thigh, twice! It was venomous." I say. "What did she say?" asked Peeta. "I said, It bit-" "I have no idea..." Said Finnick. "Did she say bye or high?" Peeta asks. "THIGH!" I yell out. It was no use. My voice sounded gargled. I put my hand where I was bit. Peeta gets the idea. He unzips my wetsuit, revealing me in just a bra, and panties. Nobody cared about my almost bare body, because they cared about the four holes, swollen and purple on my leg.

Everything fades to black.

_"Peeta?", We're sitting in a meadow. The wind is softly grazing our skin and the tall grass sways back and forth. Beautiful dandelions are blooming all around. They're an unwanted flower. Made out to be a beast, a crop killer, a diseased weed. I still think they're pretty. I pick some and giggle. Everything is cloudy and happy. "Yeah?" He asks smiling. I kiss him on the nose. "I have something to tell you." I look around. I see pink, and yellow evening primrose blooming everywhere. "I love you." I say. "I already knew that Katniss, I love you too." He says with a chuckle. "No, the real thing I need to tell you..." I start.I bury my head in my arms. He looks at me eagerly, and his smile fades. "What is it?" He says urgently. "I-I... I cheated on you while we were in the Capitol... and again in the games." "With who?" He demands. His voice sounds tense, like a rubber band about to snap. "Finnick." I say bluntly. I hear nothing from him. "I'm sorry okay?" I say. Still nothing._

_"Peeta?" I look up. Everything's different. It's night time. There are no stars out. The grass is dead, and there's no dandelions or primrose, only vines and bare patches of dirt. The wind is almost violent. I feel confused. I hear whispering. I see shadows. I put my head in my hands and scream. I look back up, heart racing, and now I'm in a house. Not my house in the Victor's Village though. Maybe not even in 12. I look around. It's cozy. The walls are sea-foam green. I'm sitting on a bed wrapped in a blanket with a cup of something in my hand. I take a sip. It tastes like tea, but saltier. The TV is on, it's a news program. "Almost 4 years since Victor: Peeta Mellark has been missing..." And that's the only part I hear. Missing? 4 years?_

_Someone walks in the room. I look at the door and see Finnick standing there. "How are you sweetheart?" He asks. There's no sarcasm, just sincerity. "What?" I say. He sits next to me on the bed. "Forget it, it was a stupid question." I look out the window. I see the beautiful ocean blasting down on the sand. I see smooth shells scattered on the warm tan sand. I have the urge to go out there and explore. I see a few fishermen spearing and netting fish. I look to my hands. I notice the huge green-blue diamond on my ring finger. It's matte, like sea glass. "What's this?" I ask. "Your wedding ring, my love." He says and kisses me. I give into the kiss. The salty taste. __**His**__ taste. It's him, I want him. _

_Finnick Odair. "Finn? I'm so confused." I say. "Just wake up, dear." He says bluntly. I look up at him. "I can't." I say back. The kisses become deeper. I feel the passion. Before I know it I'm laying next to Finnick Odair, my supposed husband, panting and sweating. "That's what's called making love, dear, not mindless fucking in a jungle." He says smiling. I fake a smile. I drift off to sleep in our comfy blue bed. . . ._

Gasping on my breath, tears in my eyes, sweat trailing down my face, I sit up. It's night time. I look around. Is this real? Finnick is up, watching over me, while Peeta rests. "He's been watching over you for the entire day... You were out the whole day" He says, when he realized I was awake. I'm still out of my wet suit, but I'm too weak to really get up. "How sweet." I say. "How are you, sweetheart?" He asks, entirely sarcastic. I frown. "I was attacked by a mutt with hallucination venom in it.." I say. I look at my leg, and the bite wounds seem to be about healed. "Wow." I say grazing my fingers over the wounds. "Haymitch sent some medicine. Healed it up pretty fast" He notes. I try to stand up, and I look over to Peeta. I see him and Johanna laying closer to each other then I would like, and I feel rage and confusion rush through my veins.

"What's _she_ doing here?" I say, in a nasty tone. "We found her wandering through the forest drenched in blood. apparently, there's a portion of the arena that rains the stuff." Finnick whispers, clearly indicating that I should be talking quieter. "Why is she with him?" I snap. "He was _very _upset about what had happened, the kid needed some sympathy... relax." I sigh and let it go. I have no energy to be upsetting myself over anything. I look up into his gorgeous eyes. I guess I get a bit lost in them, because I snap into reality with his voice. "Like what you see, sweetheart?" He says laughing. I shake my head and scowl at him. "So stubborn." He says, with a wink. Maybe he's right. I am pretty stubborn... I crack a smile and lay my head on his leg. I need to cater to the love birds act, so I start saying some stuff about how I hope Peeta will be at ease when he sees I'm ok. Finnick seems to sense that it's bullshit though, because he smiles.

I look into his eyes again. I have the urge to plant my lips on his. His lips are so soft and he tastes slightly salty, but not in a bad way. I start to feel a hunger in my stomach. I want him. I realized this slowly last time, but now its hitting me all at once. I want Finnick Odair, not in a love kind of way, but in the lust kind of way. I slowly lean in about to press my lips against his... "Katniss?" I hear Peeta's voice, crisp and clear. I snap around... "Peeta!" I gasp and run into his arms. I nearly collapse, because I'm still weak. "I'm so glad that you're okay... sleep with me for tonight?" He asks. I manage a smile, and nod. He lays down, and I lay next to him, getting comfortable. I quickly fall asleep, because tripping on snake mutt venom was the opposite of energizing.

All that I dream about is Finnick. How much I want him. What if Peeta knows? What if he knows the little secrets we both had? I couldn't bear to let him find out, especially in front of the whole entire world of Panem! I can't risk it. I have to be careful.

I wake up, shooting into the upright position. It's dawn, now. I look over to see Peeta looking at me. He doesn't look thrilled. "Can I ask you something?" He says abruptly. "Oh, okay?" I answer back. What a nice "Good morning" from him... "Why were you-" he shifts to a whisper. "Why were you moaning in your sleep?" He asks. "Must have been dreaming about you..." I say, convincingly. My cheeks get hot. I touch them with my hands. "Except you were saying 'Finnick...'" I just stare at him. I am speechless. "Well coming off that venom, seeing him above me probably burned some sort of image in my mind..." I say. "Of course it did." Johanna's voice hissed from behind me. I look at her and she's smirking at me. She sits next to Peeta, putting her hand on his shoulder. I look up to Finnick, who looks a little uneasy.

Shit. They know about the sex.


	5. Chapter 5: Picking up

**Thank you again for all of the feedback. :) It means a lot.**

"Uh... I can explain." I start. "Katniss- don't... don't bother please. We'll explain later. We're fighting for our survival, not over an.." Finnick's voice shifts to a whisper, "affair." Peeta looks a little hurt. Johanna just smiles sympathetically at me. I don't need her sympathy. I take Peeta's hand. I still have to play up the lovebirds scene. I am completely unconcerned about Gale at this point. I look behind me, and see a shimmer of gold in the tree. It reminds me of the mutt that bit me, and it makes me uncomfortable. "Let's just go..." I say.

We end up in some part of the jungle, and it's still damp and hot. We stop to rest. Finnick puts Mags down on a log, gently. I rip my hand away from Peeta's. "I'm sorry, okay? It just happened. I didn't mean to go off and fuck Finnick." "Twice" He interjects with a smirk. I glare at him, not even glancing at Peeta to see his reaction. "Nevermind the fact that the arena had some gas to make you horny or whatever in some portions of this jungle." I finished. "Honey, that gas wasn't to make you horny. It was to affect the part of the brain that contains thoughts. Confuse them into actions? So, if someone were thinking and planning of killing their ally, per say, the Capitol's sweet-smelling gas will make you go and do it." Johanna says. "How do you know that?" Asks Finnick. She hesitates. "I just do, okay? Fact of the matter is Sweet innocent 12 fucked fish boy's brains out." I blush. "I'm _sorry_. Forgive me, please." I plead, looking at Peeta. I know I'm screwed.

President Snow is going to rip me a new one when- if I go home. Just like that, I hear the beeping of a parachute. It looks a little bit bigger this time. It falls to my feet and I pick it up. I'm pretty upset at myself, so the rest of them kept their distance while I opened the parachute, in fear I would explode and start screaming at everyone. I open it, and first theres a sketch on a piece of paper, and a note on top of it.

**SURVIVAL, NOT DRAMA. - H **

It's like he's watching our every move, like a hawk. OF course he is. He's our mentor. I look at the sketch. It's a circle, cut into 12 pieces. Little words and pictures scribbled into it. I try to decipher it but I don't understand. I put it aside. Under that, is a small locket, a little cupcake with orange frosting, a shell necklace, a piece of cooked fish, and a gold ring. What is all this stuff? I open the locket, my stomach sinks as I see a picture of Prim, my mother and Gale. I feel sick. All of this has to mean something. The locket's mine... The cupcake must be Peeta's. He works at a bakery, and orange is his favorite color. I put the cupcake aside and grab the shell necklace. I rub it in my hands. It's really smooth. I hear a gasp, and Finnick is in front of me in a second.

"Is that really it?" He breathes, snatching it from my hands. He puts it around his neck. "Why is it so special?" I ask. "My mother, when I was younger, she made this for me..." "Oh." I say. "Why?" "Well, it was the first day of summer. That's when all the younger boys learn how to go fishing with their fathers. They spend all day out on the water, and sometimes the kids and the fathers don't come home until they catch a few fish in at least 3 different ways.. a net, trident, and the string hook. Well, it was my first day and I didn't want to go out. I had not been interested in catching fish. I was interested in collecting shells. My mother made me this necklace, and handed it to me.

With that, she said: _"Finn, sometimes we have to do things that we do not want to do. It will only make us stronger to accept and do these things. This necklace is to remind you that doing something different does not change who you are. You will always be able to enjoy collecting shells. But fishing is something all the boys here have to do."_. I never saw her again after that. She took off or something. My father, was so heartbroken he left after I'd turned 18. Mags had raised me since he left. But I took that advice to heart, and still do. I learned to fish with a trident, and it's been basically an extension of my arm ever since." He said, smiling with the necklace glimmering proudly around his neck. "Wow." I said. Mags was nodding as if she had lived the story herself.

I purse my lips together. I hand the cooked fish to Mags who smiles gratefully, and takes a small bite. I smile back, and turn to look at what's left. The ring must be for Johanna. It's a simple gold band... **The next half is coming soon, been busy with school. This is just to put something out there!**


End file.
